It took a long time, a bit of sweat and luck, but I have no (hopefully permanently) moved to

themidnightcafe.org

Yes, I know, the “the” is kind of annoying.  I wanted “midnightcafe.org, or .com or .whatever” but all of those were taken.  So I had to add in “the.”

Mark you calendars, add in your book marks, commit it to memory.

I’m in.

PS  I know it is incredibly bare right now.  I just got it and am excited.  I suppose I should have waited until I had actually done something to it to impress you lot.  But I couldn’t wait.  Keep your eye on it though, for it shall be spit shined soon.

I really do plan to get my own webspace soon and that should get rid of all this nonsense.  I know I’ve been saying that for ages now, but I would say within 6 weeks it will be a reality.  Our first pay check comes tomorrow but it will be very small.  The next pay check will be at the end of September and hopefully by then we will have all our reimbursements too which means mad cash.  I swear I’ll invest in real space then, OK?

Until then check out the blogger blog.  Or maybe if this sucker keeps letting me in I may go back here.

At the moment I do not have an internet connection (I’m using my sisters right now) so posts are very sporadic.  But by the end of next week we should be in our apartment and have internet so things should jump up then.

Also, China randomly blocks a lot of websites and for now both blogger and wordpress are two of them.  I can still post, but I cannot actually see the page nor can I make comments.  I have found a way to anonymously view the pages, but still cannot figure out the commenting.  So, if you talk to me and I do not respond just blame China and not me.

Obviously, it will still be a bit before Brewster’s Millions is really gaining new posts too.

We’ve packed, unpacked, and packed our bags again and again. They are weighed and measured and we think everything is exactly right. Yet we are still taking some back up bags in case our carry-ons are too big, or we need to drop some stuff onto our parents.

Though I’ve been really nervous all week, I’ve been very calm today. I think I’m just ready to get it all over with. I’m sure butterflies will come tomorrow, but for now I’m good.

We will have internet access in China, but it will be spotty for a little while. We’ll be in a motel for a few days when we arrive, and my sister is connnected, so I know I’ll be e-mailing, and I’ll probably slip in a blog somewhere, but it may take a couple of weeks to get settled and have internet in our apartment. Thus Brewster’s Millions will not be updated a lot.

I still don’t have a name for my China blog, so suggestions are still welcome. My wife suggested taking the name from those crazy signs they have in China where they have completely butchered the English language translation. I like the idea, but have yet to see one that was short enough for a URL, funny after a couple of listens, and made some sense as an ex-pat in China blog.

See you in a few days.

My first memory of anything Harry Potter was during my first few days at the credit card company I used to work for – or rather the first couple of weeks as I know my training period was over. I walked into cube-land and my trainer was propped up in his little space reading one of the Potter books. He sort of sheepishly smiled at me, admitted he was reading a “kids” book, but added that it was really easy to read, and he needed something breezy to fill his time at work.

This was a call center, you understand, and there was always some dead time while the dialer dialed looking for a real, live person to talk to.

I obviously knew about Harry Potter then because I understood what book he was reading, and the reasons he was a little sheepish about it. It is funny now to think any adult might be embarrassed about reading a Potter book, as it seems all of us have now read most of the series.

A year or two or three later I went to a midnight release party at Borders for one of the books. I’m guessing it was Prisoner of Azkaban, but it might have been the fourth one as my memory and knowledge of release dates is fuzzy. I still had not read any of the books, and only went because some friends had invited me, and it seemed like it might be fun.

It was. It was hugely crowded in the middle of the night and everyone sort of lingered around feeling the great amount of buzz in the room. There were kids dressed up as Harry and adults dressed up as Dumbledore. It all seemed strange and weird and fun.

Through a few more years the Harry Potter mania grew and I kept thinking I should read them, but my interest wasn’t incredibly high over the whole deal. I did borrow the first movie from a friend and set out to watch it, but my wife told me we had to read the books first. The movie was returned and I bought the first five books for Christmas.

There they sat for many a month while I read other things and my wife studied. Eventually I rented the movie and said we were going to watch it regardless of never cracking the book.

I wasn’t really impressed. I liked the concept of the story, and most of the actors were pretty good, but the direction was kind of plodding and the effects were lousy. The troll in the bathroom was some of the worst CGI I had ever seen.

Still it made me want to read the books, and I eventually started on Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone. This was sometime around Halloween, 2006. I zipped through the first book and started the second. Halfway through we rented the second film and it was much improved, but still a little plodding. I’ve always been one who enjoys reading a book after watching the movie version. That’s the only way I don’t mind knowing the ending, and I like the visual aspect the movie gives me on the book. But after that, I completed the book before watching the movie.

My wife also began reading the books and eventually she caught up with me. We then had many an argument over whose turn it was to read.

The books got better, and Rowling definitely honed her craft with each page. Yet I’d never say she was a great writer, and I don’t expect that the Potter books will find itself in the annals of great literature in the years to come.

As I read more of the series, I developed a mantra – Rowling needs an editor. Seriously, did any of the books need to be that long? 800 pages for a kid’s book? There were so many things that could have been left out completely, or paired down a great deal. I’m thinking specifically with all the long conversations with Dumbledore, and all of the flashbacks via the Pensieve. Sure, I like having some good back story on Voldemort, but I’m not at all sure that we needed neither quite that much information, nor the extra long chapters on nothing but…

Still, I really enjoyed the books. Rowling does a great job of making me care for her characters – and not just the main three, but Hagrid and Dumbledore, and Neville and even Snape. The great thing about a seven part series is she is allowed the time to really develop those characters and create a larger story that kept me interested.

Like so many others, I eagerly awaited the arrival of the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I pondered how it would all end, and even developed several theories. Having now finished the book I can’t say that I am disappointed, but I can’t say that I esteem Rowling anymore highly than I already did either.

It turns out most of my predictions were correct.

Snape was a good guy. I always figured he would wind being one of the good ones due to how much time was spent making him the bad guy. He was Harry’s foible for so long, and yet Dumbledore liked him and he never did anything incredibly nasty (save for killing Dumbledore) that I just KNEW he’d wind up good.

Yet I couldn’t help but be a little annoyed that we had to find out he was good through the pensieve. Finding out after he gets killed was kind of anti-climatic. I would have much preferred him playing a bigger role in the final battle, maybe saving Harry from one of Voldemort’s blast or something.

Harry didn’t die. I was never really against Harry dying if the story played out that way, but unlike others, I always figured Rowling wouldn’t allow the character to be killed off. If this wasn’t pop fiction I could see it, but as it I always thought he would live. I liked how Harry’s fake death actually killed the horcrux inside him and that he was willing to die for his friends, and thus this made him worthy of living, but a part of me just thinks this was a foul trick on the author’s part.

Dumbledore is really dead. I would have bet money that he would have found a way to come back to life like Gandalf in Lord of the Rings, or his very own phoenix, but alas I was wrong. I only take off half points though, as the chapter he appeared in, he very much appeared alive (instead of as a ghost) and basically played the role he always does in explaining parts that Harry didn’t understand.

Overall I liked the book and am happy with its conclusion. I suspect I will read the books to my kids, though I don’t think that Harry Potter will live on as a classic piece of literature.

Meanwhile here is some interesting footage of that collapse.

I’ve only seen a few of Bergman’s films, but everyone has left a lasting impression. Wild Strawberries is up there in my list of greatest films ever made, but the Seventh Seal and its chess game with death contains so much imagery that it is what I always think of when I think of Bergman.

To tell the truth I didn’t realize the old man was still alive, but finding out about his death now, brings a pain to my heart. The ever lovely Lisa McKay has a nice write up over at Blogcritcs.

It is pretty obvious I am a fan of the show. I talk about it all the time, I quote it regularly, I’ve pretty much based my life philosophy around Homer Simpson, and I practically reviewed the entire 18^th season right here.

When the Simpsons are good, there is nothing better on television, and even when they are bad they are good for a few laughs. Unfortunately, since about season 8 they have been steadily moving towards the latter end of that statement. The show has moved from a cutting edge satire with an underlying heart that made it not only incredibly hilarious, but a rock solid piece of story telling. These days it hangs on by throwing a million gags out at once.

Sometimes those gags are brilliant, but all too often they make me laugh and then immediately forget them. And the show really lacks the heart it used to have. There is still a lot of cheap sentiment thrown in, but the storylines are so off the wall and jagged, that the sentiment falls flat.

Unfortunately the movie is more like the last few seasons than the first few. Oh, I laughed, and laughed heartily many a time, but nothing has really stayed with me. I didn’t walk out of the theatre repeating my favorite jokes, and now two days later, there is hardly anything memorable about it at all.

That isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy it. I laughed a lot and it was fun to see my favorite four fingered cartoon characters on the big screen, it’s just that it could have been so much more. On television, every season I hope that the Simpsons will turn it around and become brilliant again. Every season I am ultimately disappointed. But I keep coming back. I keep watching.

Even though I knew the movie wouldn’t be as brilliant as it could be I kept hoping that they would bring in old writers and they would come up with something remarkable. Like the longer deadlines and the bigger budgets would somehow improve the quality.

I will say it looked beautiful. They say they used traditional animation for most of it, but used some CGI for the backgrounds. Whatever they did the Simpsons looked better than they ever have before, without looking too improved or big budgeted (like in the Halloween special, “Homer³.”

I was slightly surprised that they didn’t go overboard with the freedom that being away from television censors allows. There were a couple of bigger curse words and a funny, if inappropriate moment where Bart shows more than his famous naked tooshie. But they could have done much more, but showed some surprising restraint in that front.

Lots of main characters were left out, and while I can’t blame them for not trying to throw every single character in for a one liner, I still wish Moe and Principal Skinner had more of a presence. Using Arnold Schwarzenegger as President may be a better gag, but I think it would have been more fitting to have used Rainier Wolfcastle for the part (as he’s the Simpsons parody of Arnold anyway.)

I could go on. There are lots of things to quibble with, but mostly they are beside the point. The Simpsons are finally on the big screen. For fans this is a big deal, and they do deliver lots of laughs. For those who find themselves loving more recent seasons, this will be a real treat. For those wishing they’d stop signing contracts, you can expect some laughs, but mostly disappointment.

This was pre-married to that Brit who used to make interesting, funny, violent films until he got married to an aging pop star and dropped completely off the map. This was pre- way over the top kinky sex and bad teeth Madonna. This was even mostly pre- pushed the envelope way too far with a big, expensive photo book that everyone talked about but no one bought Madonna.

No this was when Madonna was mostly known for her excellent pop music and her pushing the envelope (but not too far) videos. As a kid I dug her catchy singles, and her risqué (but not too risqué) profile.

“Cherish” came in the latter part of my favorite period Madonna (her next album would be the too kinky, too weird, not very interesting Erotica where I lost all interest.) It is a decent, if not all that memorable little tune, but one I still keep on the dial when I find it on the radio.

It is the video, however, that I remember most. It was shot in beautiful black and white by glamor photographer Herb Ritz. It is essentially Madonna dressed in a low cut, short black dress cavorting in the ocean with a little mer-kid. She looks stunningly gorgeous and appears to be having a great deal of fun. Mainly though I liked the low cut, short dress in the ocean part. Madonna was always good at showing some skin in those days, and as a pubescent boy I was always willing to watch.

I don’t have the slightest idea why this song popped into my head this morning. I don’t believe I have heard it recently and lawd knows I don’t really listen to Madonna anymore, but there it was, and here it is.

But I love them still.

I love trying to decide what my favorite anythings are (and this is really hard as I don’t really believe in favorites – I mean how does one choose between vanilla and chocolate, caramel and fudge, Ichi the Killer and Kill Bill, Wilco and Ryan Adams, Kurosawa and Scorsese?) But maybe that is why I love lists, they let me choose lots of cool stuff without necessarily choosing a favorite.

Anyways, several months ago I created a Top Five group for Facebook. Have I mentioned I am on Facebook? Have I mentioned how much better it is than myspace? No? Well then you are cordially invited to be my Facebook friend and to join the Top Five.

What is the Top Five you ask? Basically it is me asking for your top five…whatevers and then you providing a response. Discussion ensues. I ask a new question every Sunday and participants answer whenever they want. The Facebook group thing updates the group page whenever someone answers a questions, so even if you answer a question that is months old, it comes right to the top giving everyone an opportunity to read and respond.

We’re pretty small right now in terms of numbers, and even more so in terms of response. But I thought it would be kind of cool to start posting them here. Feel free to join the group and respond on Facebook, or to simply add your own answers in the comments.

I’m starting with the first one, which was posted way back in March, and I hope to update the blog regularly with the old ones, and then every week with the new ones. That’s where it gets tricky as people do answer very randomly. I may have to keep myself a few weeks behind so that everyone has a chance to answer.

Without further ado, here is the question of the week.

What are your favorite John Cusack Movies?

Mat Brewster:

1. High Fidelity – This is not me. This is NOT me! Based on the book by Nick Hornby and full of all sorts of insightful quotes on relationships and music obsession. Just because I find myself nodding vigorously at the moment he starts talking about mix tapes, does not mean that this movie is about me.

2. Being John Malkovich – It worked better on the first viewing, than all subsequent ones, but this was my introduction to the quirky oddness of Charlie Kaufman and Spike Jonez. Amazingly brilliant idea pulled off really well, though I find it a little dull now.

3. Bullets Over Broadway – Great latish Woody Allen when I still thought Woody Allen was finished as a director. Mobsters in charge of Broadway!

4. Say Anything – The best romantic comedy ever. Or maybe tied with Whe Harry Met Sally. The side plot about the dad gets a little tired, but there is no greater moment in rom-com history than when Lloyd Dobler holds the boombox over his head.

5. Better Off Dead – I adored early Cusack comedies as a kid, and this is one of the best. It’s random goofiness, but you’ve got to love the hamburger animation.

Amy Beth:

High Fidelty was definitely fun. Mat says the movie isn’t about him, no just his alter ego. What might have happened if he hadn’t met me…

1. Grosse Pointe Blank –who doesn’t want to see a hitman go to his high school reunion?

2. Say Anything–carries you back to the 80′s.

3. Shadows and Fog- I really like this Woody Allen movie, even used as a retell exercise with some students in France in English language class. I did a double take when I saw Cusack in the brothel. “That’s my sweet little Cusack.” He wasn’t so sweet, but still cute.

4. Identity: I enjoyed this movie the first time through, but probably wouldn’t watch repeatedly.

5. Serendipity and America’s Sweethearts: okay but not the best stuff.

Monica:

Ok, Mat said to post the three John Cusack movies I have seen. So according to imdb.com, here they are.

1. Anastasia - Yes, the animated one. He’s the voice of Dmitri. Maybe not what you’re looking for, but I’ve seen it and he’s in it.

2. Con Air - I don’t actually remember Cusack in this movie, but IMDB says he is, so I guess he is.

3. Grosse Pointe Blank – YEA! I have seen one! …..well, I only saw half of it. But I wouldn’t mind seeing the rest of it.

4. Eight Men Out – I have seen ALL of this one. …I think… And, yes, it’s a baseball movie. But it’s pretty good.

5. Since I haven’t actually seen a fifth John Cusack movie, I’m going to put Toy Story 2 with JOAN Cusack as the voice of Jessie, the Yodeling Cowgirl. That movie gets a lot of air time in my house.

Ok, here’s hoping next week’s question isn’t about Mat, but is something I have better answers to.

Erin:

“A female extraterrestrial?” I’ve seen two–no, three–John Cusack movies in my day: In no particular order, they are Grosse Point Blank, Better off Dead, and Sixteen Candles. Of these three, my vote is for Better off Dead. (I’ve seen it the most, and he didn’t do enough in 16 Candles to warrant much of an opinion.) Can’t be more specific. But don’t worry–Being John Malkovich is in my queue.

Tara:

1. Sixteen Candles

2. Being John Malkovich

3. The Journey of Natty Gann (a favorite of mine as a kid)

4. Grosse Pointe Blank

5. Say Anything